Jenny Junnier, chair of Aberdeen X-Industry Support, feels that although Shell aren’t unique in the gender disparity in pay, “it’s a positive step that oil and gas companies are reporting it.”
“I’m not surprised”, Junnier said, “but I hope this will tell a story and actually make a change. I think Shell have been really brave in going first. Well done for them to do that. I’m not necessarily sure any of the other oil and gas companies will be much different. I don’t think it’s specific to Shell.”
While not surprised Junnier believes the oil and gas industry is in a much better situation now – when gender pay is reported – than in the past when it was just known to those within the sector.
Yet, she feels that the numbers can seem inflammatory when viewed out of context.
Junnier said: “I understand what the gender pay gap represents and it’s slightly misleading. People read that and they think ‘we’ll that’s illegal’, etc.”
“Essentially, what it’s saying is that on average all of the reasons behind the gender pay gap; like there are more men in senior positions, there’s less men working part-time – they’re all the reasons why you get that differential. That’s what we know about the industry.”
Junnier is chair of the AXIS Network, a group set up to raise awareness about gender diversity impacting the Aberdeen energy sector.
She said: “It’s one of the reasons why we set up the AXIS network because there is an imbalance. An imbalance of women in senior roles. An imbalance of who often takes the burden of childcare. The whole point of what we’re trying to do with the AXIS network is deal with that imbalance on both sides.
“Gender pay reporting is actually really positive and actually what it can do is get people thinking about it and get people talking about what drives the gender pay difference. It’s not about a man and a woman being paid differently for the same job, it’s about what underlying is creating that imbalance in the levels and the type of work that [women] are doing.
“If you think about who’s working offshore and people’s bonuses, these are all the things that are behind the gender pay difference.”
Yet, some of the numbers released from Shell make dispiriting reading. While they might believe progress is being made, a 14.8% rise in women in senior positions over 12 years is a only slightly above a 1% rise year-on-year.
Asked about the figure, some of the usual positivity goes out of Junnier’s voice.
She said: “It’s not huge, no. And yes it’s disappointing that we are in 2017 and to know that there is such a difference. But that’s why I think the gender pay reporting is a positive step because it’s getting people to talk about it properly and what’s driving the differences”
“What’s happened in the past is that we talked a lot about it but we didn’t do anything, because we didn’t know what was driving it. This feels to me like a real opportunity for all organisations to look at at the concrete numbers and go ‘actually this really isn’t fair’.
Junnier is positive, however, that transparency is the key and she’s confident that changes are being made for the better. She herself was honoured this month in the House of Commons, receiving the Women’s Business award for ‘Getting on’ an award given to women who help other women enhance their careers.
She said: “If you look at what’s happened within the last 18 months in the oil and gas industry and with senior leaders…Statoil, ConocoPhillips, Chevron, even Oil and Gas UK with Deirdre Michie, it’s women in those senior roles.
“It takes some of the middle managers to make the difference and the right tone coming from the top. It can create a situation that allows women to say ‘I’m going to go for that promotion’ and ‘I’m going to go for that pay rise.’
“I’m positive that there will be change.”
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